lightning strike
14
3.2
- noun
- /ˈlaɪt.nɪŋ straɪk/
:
rayo
- The electrical equipment was destroyed after a lightning strike hit the building.
Examples
-
The air crackled just as it did before a lightning strike.
Fiction book (1995) -
At close quarters, her scent was floral, but it was also sharp, like the smell after lightning strikes.
Fiction book (2002) -
After all, it's not just a single report coming like a lightning strike out of the blue.
Blog text (3) -
Now, this is where she was when a big storm broke out and she saw lightning strike above her on the mountain.
-
The sudden lightning strikes that set fire to many areas have not returned.
-
Have there been any recent power outages or lightning strikes in the area?
Blog text (17) -
There will be usually hundreds if not thousands of lightning strikes from these severe thunderstorms and that's a real danger.
-
Ground fires resulting from lightning strikes have been a constant feature of the region's longleaf pine forests through the millennia.
Academic text (1990) -
Superstorm hits Australia's east coast with 4,000 lightning strikes in one hour in Brisbane.
Blog text (2) -
A lightning strike at the park caused extensive damage to several trees.
Synonyms
512
1.0
A sudden bright flash in the sky during a storm caused by electricity
40
1.7
A sudden bright flash of lightning in the sky
9
2.1
A sudden bright flash in the sky during a storm that often comes before thunder
6
3.5
A flash of lightning followed by a loud crash of thunder
1
4.2
A sudden flow of electricity that makes a spark or flash
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'lightning' (an electrical flash) combined with 'strike' (a hit/impact) yields the event of lightning hitting something, which a learner who knows both words can infer. The extended metaphorical sense of a sudden burst of inspiration is also a straightforward mapping from the sudden, powerful physical event to a sudden idea, a pattern common across languages, so both literal and metaphorical senses are accessible.
Etymology
Lightning strike comes from the image of bright lightning suddenly striking a tree or house and causing big damage. That's why we use it for a very sudden, powerful event or for a quick burst of inspiration, like a 'sudden idea'.